Espanol por favor?

Law officers learning Spanish to deal with area's diversification

Law officers learning Spanish to deal with area's diversification

July 09, 2008|By Emily Arthur-Richardt, earthur@aberdeennews.com

Capt. Neil Bittner paused a moment before opening his mouth and spilling out the answer he had been searching for. The words sounded a little different in Spanish - "Apague el motor" - but the meaning (turn off the engine) was the same. Bittner of the Aberdeen Police Department was taking part in an exercise of what to say when approaching a vehicle that might be driven by a Spanish-speaking person. The exercise was part of a course on learning basic Spanish for law enforcement. "It may not sound like authentic Spanish when we're saying it, but (the person) is going to appreciate that you're making the effort to talk to them," said Andy Garcia, the instructor. "It may sound a little foreign to them, but they'll appreciate and understand." Bittner and about 20 others - including jail and corrections officers, dispatchers, deputies from local sheriff's offices, police officers and even an official with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Minnesota - participated in the first day of a three-day course teaching law enforcement about the ins and outs of speaking basic Spanish. The course, which was put on by the Midwest Counter Training Center out of Iowa, focused on drug terminology, field interrogations, executing arrests and Spanish vocabulary that would indicate to a law enforcement officer that there might be danger. It also gave officials the chance to learn basic Spanish phrases such as "buenos tardes" (good afternoon) or "gracias" (thank you) - phrases that give them a better opportunity to communicate every day with Spanish-speaking people within the community. Vital skills: Capt. Dave McNeil of the Aberdeen Police Department said the skills learned in the class will be vital to all of the officers taking the course. Two Aberdeen police officers already are fluent in Spanish, but the need to have more exists, he said. About 10 Aberdeen officers, sergeants and administrators, including McNeil, participated in the class. "(This class) gives us tools to be able to communicate with the different cultures were seeing in our community," McNeil said. "...It's becoming more frequent. We're experiencing a population increase, and Aberdeen is becoming a more diverse community all the time." The Midwest Counterdrug Training Center has been in existence for seven years. Last year, the center educated more than 13,000 police officers on a variety of different subjects, said Sgt. Jeremy Fehr, a mobile training coordinator for the center. The training is free for law enforcement. The MCTC, based in Camp Dodge, Iowa, is funded through federal and state dollars. "Our main mission to to provide the best possible training at no cost," Fehr said. Safety prioritized: It's also to keep officers safe as they do their jobs, Garcia said. "I have a passion to make sure my officers always stay safe," he said. Garcia pointed to the amount of drugs being transported from Latin and South America as reasons law enforcement should be learning Spanish. Garcia, who is from Mexico, is a retired officer with the police department in Arlington, Texas. He said, last year alone, 178,000 pounds of marijuana were seized from people coming across the Mexican border into the United States. Garcia encouraged the participants in the class to practice what they learn in the course. "It should come naturally," he said. "How we train is repetition. I'm confident everyone will get it." Reporter Emily Arthur-Richardt; (605) 622-2314 or 1-800-925-4100 ext. 314.